{"id":26745,"date":"2026-02-25T15:21:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T23:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=26745"},"modified":"2026-03-24T18:24:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T01:24:52","slug":"physics-professor-uses-bed-of-nails-to-demonstrate-lesson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/physics-professor-uses-bed-of-nails-to-demonstrate-lesson\/","title":{"rendered":"Physics professor uses a bed of nails to drive home a lesson on inertia and pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/vahe-peroomian-nails-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/vahe-peroomian-nails-top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/vahe-peroomian-nails-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/vahe-peroomian-nails-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Instructor lies on bed of nails and assistant carries another plank bearing nails\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Students watch as physics professor Vahe Peroomian lies on a bed of nails and an assistant prepares to lay another plank of nails on top of him. (Image: Mike Glier.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Physics professor uses a bed of nails to drive home a lesson on inertia and pressure<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  USC Dornsife\u2019s Vahe Peroomian provides a memorable class session with the help of a few hundred lengthy metal spikes, a cinderblock and a hammer.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Darrin S. Joy<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">February 25, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Vahe Peroomian winces slightly as he eases himself, with the help of two assistants, from a sitting position to lying full-length on a bed of long, sharp nails. Students in the room observe quietly as another plank of nails is placed onto his chest with their points down. As an assistant sets a cinderblock on top of it all, the students stir nervously, but Peroomian reassures them. \u201cIt\u2019s just a bit more pressure,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Then the assistant reaches for a hammer, and the students erupt with excitement, cell phones recording.<\/p>\n<p>The assistant moves into position near Peroomian and raises the hammer, taking aim. Then he strikes, shattering half of the cinder block, and the students let out a surprised exclamation: \u201cOooooo!\u201d The tone suggests more than a little concern at their instructor\u2019s well-being.<\/p>\n<p>But they need not worry; <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/vahe-peroomian\/\">Peroomian<\/a>, professor (teaching) of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/physics\/\">physics and astronomy<\/a> at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, is fine.<\/p>\n<p>His assistants clear the pieces of concrete, remove the top plank and help him stand, and he lets out a small \u201cWhoo, all right!\u201d The students applaud and cheer, clearly impressed \u2014 and likely a little relieved.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"USC Professor Lies on Bed of Nails\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FrHvkWeM3LU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The demonstration is old hat for Peroomian; he\u2019s performed the feat \u2014 and others \u2014 for more than two decades, including the 11 years he\u2019s taught at USC Dornsife.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s part of his course \u201cFundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics\u201d (PHYS 151) course, designed for students majoring in the physical sciences or engineering. The nail-bed demonstration aims to teach students about pressure and inertia.<\/p>\n<p>By spreading his weight over many nails in the lower plank, no single nail will experience enough pressure to penetrate his back. And as the hammer strikes the cinder block, the block\u2019s inertia absorbs the force of the hammer, keeping it from pushing the top plank of nails into his chest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t feel the concrete block,\u201d he says. \u201cI mean, it was heavy. It was sitting on top of me. But the additional impact of breaking it didn\u2019t get through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The spectacle is intended to be entertaining and memorable, and for good reason: It drives the lesson home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI try to turn it into something tangible that the students can apply, and solidify their understanding of what\u2019s going on,\u201d Peroomian says. \u201cEven if they only remember one demonstration that I did, that might help them if they\u2019re struggling with the material.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field 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Year<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USC Dornsife\u2019s Vahe Peroomian provides a memorable class session with the help of a few hundred lengthy metal spikes, a cinderblock and a hammer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":26746,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,16],"tags":[216,97,91],"class_list":["post-26745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","category-science-and-technology","tag-physics-and-astronomy","tag-undergraduate","tag-video"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Physics professor uses a bed of nails to drive home a lesson on inertia and 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